The Professor's Secret
by Blanche13
Summary: Anne has just moved into Vaniville Town, in the charming Kalos region, and is about to begin her journey as a Pokemon trainer under the tutorship of Professor Sycamore. Will she mature into a fine trainer, as well as a grown-up woman? ...And what to do with the unknown passion assaulting her chest every time the teasing Professor reels her into his many charms?
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One: Vaniville Town, My first Pokémon, The letter._**

I had been too tired after the long day's trip, so the bed in my room was my first stop as I reached the elegant little town of Vaniville. I awoke – or rather was awakened – some hours later by an overly-excited singing Fletching that bust into my room: He was an old friend, and a faithful alarm clock!

This time, however, the faithful clock-friend seemed to have decided to give me a break: I looked out the window, and it was already dark.

"Morning, Anne…" mom declared with her sarcasm as she stood at the bottom of the stairs

"Sorry mom, I overslept!" I passed through her and went straight into the kitchen.

"You did, young lady! And I had to unpack all by myself…" she playfully pursued.

I grabbed a bowl and a box of cereals from the cabinet, already guessing their location.

"Dinner will be ready soon, so don't go filling your stomach with that crap!"

"Too starved to wait…" I moaned lazily.

"It will feel like a minute if you distract yourself: get dressed and go outside, there are some kids on the lawn. I think they'd like to meet their new neighbor."

I lifted the light curtains and peeked through the window. My eyes first met with a boy, probably as old as myself, wearing a nice blue jacket and running his fingers through his short hair strands. He was… cute. I felt myself blush and dropped the curtains immediately as his eyes threatened to correspond my heavy gaze. Now, through my invisibility, I made out the second person standing in front of my house: it was a petite, cutely dressed girl that looked younger than her male friend, though it was probably not the case – she had that air of an adolescent who just happened to keep her child-like traces, managing to become both cute and interesting throughout. They talked happily - their mood made me want to smile as if I was part of their gang.

"So I guess this is Vaniville town…" I murmured to myself.

* * *

"Shhh, she's coming! She's coming! I'm so excited…" I heard the girly voice shouting enthusiastically as I opened the door, now dressed out of my pajamas.

"Anne, right?" The boy stepped forward, much more composed than the previous addresser, and stretched out his hand "I'm Calem, your next-door neighbor! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"And I'm Shauna, and even though I'm not your neighbor, I was here first…" the enthusiastic girl jumped between us, holding the hand that was meant for Calem and giving it a hearty, excited squeeze. "I'm sure we're going to be great friends!"

"I'm… Anne…" I replied, slightly uncomfortable by such proximity "…but you guys already know that, right?"

"Right… that was rude of us!" Shauna gave out an embarrassed small laugh.

"Professor Sycamore sent for you… - the boy announced, and as doubt crossed my face, explained: "…He has chosen us, and another two guys, to help him with his research."

"I don't know how he could know about you though… You just moved into town, didn't you, Anne?"

"Well, I…"

"She filled in a form, Shauna, just like I did for both me and you… Isn't that right, Anne?"

I was going to say it was _impossible_ for said Professor not to know me, considering my mother was Grace, the famous rhyhorn racer but, hopefully, Calem interrupted me before I did.

"Oooh that's right!" Shauna wondered, lifting her finger and resting it upon her lower lip as her eyes went wide with recollection.

I _did_ fill in a form, right before packing my things to Vaniville town. I vaguely remembered its fields: My name, my gender, a picture of myself… I remember choosing my best picture before sending it.

…I also remember wondering what the person on the other side, directing me such instruction, was like. Professor Sycamore, huh? However cliché it might sound, I couldn't help but picture him as an old man now that the 'professor' title was added to his name.

"Well, Anne…" Shauna pulled me from the thoughts I had been unknotting "I'm glad we found you! Our friends just came from Professor Sycamore's lab, and they have something for us… for the three of us!" she ensured, ruling out any chance for me to feel left out "Come to meet us when you're ready, we'll be waiting at the square just across route one. Don't be late! Byeeee!"

Shauna ran ahead, looking back and waving her hand at me with a huge smile shinning across her face.

"Well… Bye, neighbor! Meet you there!" Calem lingered, and then, too, ran off after his friend.

They were warm, decided, and didn't even give me enough time to ask them any questions or feel shy. I decided I liked them…

That could be an interesting beginning – I said to myself and smiled to Fletching, who watched my glowing expression with curious eyes. I swallowed dinner, picked up my bag, went out the door, and followed through Vaniville Town's gate, towards where my newly-made friends awaited.

* * *

After a long introduction, I tested out my memory skills:

"Hmmm… Tierno" I pointed at the chubby boy with spiked hair, his large grin gave away how right I was, "Trevor, Shauna…" The short boy shyly nodded, and Shauna lifted her hand up high as if in class "and… Calem. Did I get everyone right?"

"That was super!" Tierno laughed, exaggeratedly "Now, here's the surprise I told you guys about…" and he put a large briefcase on top of the table.

"You guys get to choose your Pokémons, courtesy of Professor Sycamore." 'Trevs' explained.

"Waaaa!" Shauna screamed in glee "Let me see them, let me see them!"

Tierno opened up the briefcase and the three of us – Shauna, me and Calem – came closer, spying inside: Three shiny pokeballs waited in a cushion padding. I could see the reflex of our collective gaze upon them.

"My first… Pokémon…" I marveled.

"They are Fennekin, a fire-type… Froakie, water-type…" Tierno pointed at the pokeballs, though I had no idea how he could tell the difference from them. "…and Chespin, a grass-type."

"Think well before choosing, but don't take things too seriously" Trevs recommended, "I mean, it's not so important to be comparing which one is stronger or anything, right?"

"I don't care about strength; I care about how they'll look: I'll have fennekin, because he sounds cute!" Shauna laughed and leaped at the first pokeball.

Calem and I giggled at her innocent rashness.

"And what about you guys?" Tierno asked as Shauna hugged her pokeball, in love with its content before even meeting it.

Calem and I looked at each other.

- Well, neighbor… You choose first! Think of it as a welcome gift! – He smiled warmly.

- Alright… - I sighed.

At the end of that sigh, I decided I would leave it to luck: It's not like I even remembered which pokeball held each Pokémon! After all… - I reminded myself, reaching for the case with my open hand - …I never chose to come to Kalos. I didn't choose to meet my neighbor and those people. I didn't choose to make new friends, or have fun like that small gang was providing me. I didn't choose any of it, and yet it all felt so sweet and right!

I grabbed my pokeball and felt my heart thump in a different rhythm. From that moment on, I was a Pokémon trainer. I was Anne, the trainer; instead of Anne, the daughter of the famous rhyhorn racer. There, on that table at Aquacorde town's square, a whole new life greeted me, and with what excitement I opened my chest to receive it!

I threw my pokeball skyward - it gleamed against that night sky, and then a cute, small frog leapt out, landing harmless on the floor next to me.

"It's a Froakkie!", "Yaaay!" my friends screamed with excitement as if they perceived the randomness of my choice.

Calem grabbed his little Chespin and released him from his pokeball.

We talked and laughed through the evening; our little beasts running about us and staring at our faces from time to time, getting acquainted to them… knowing them for the very first time.

I crossed my arms under my head, above the pillow, and looked through the window to the night sky above calm Vaniville Town. Sleep was going to be a hard achievement that night, and I decided not to push myself too much at it.

In the dark, Froakie slept, curled up on the fuzzy rug. His breathing was calm, unworried; and though I shared his trust in the tranquility of things to come, I couldn't help but being bugged with thoughts of apprehension. I was excited about my new journey, of course – but I was scared in my own right, too! Tomorrow, Froakie and I would leave on our new life together. Would I be alright? Had I become a woman yet? Would I be a good trainer for Froakie and for the other Pokémons that might join? I didn't have the answer to any of those questions. All I knew was that the world had changed so fast!

* * *

I slipped into my favorite dress, tried on a few hats, looked at myself in the mirror and nervously tried to change a thing or two in my appearance, hoping I would find in the reflection the readiness I lacked.

"Does this look alright to you?" I inquired as I realized Froakie had been watching me with a curious gaze. His eyes were silent, though.

I sighed, accepting my panicked state, and then smiled to my little friend.

"We have to find you a name, don't we?" – I crouched and caressed his head.

I contemplated his beautiful color – beautiful as the sky out there waiting to unveil the first day of our departure. I had no doubts: "Azure it is!"

Downstairs, I contemplated the mysterious letter that was handed to me by Trevor the previous night, the one from Professor Sycamore that I was supposed to deliver to my mom. I decided just this once I would be a very good kid – I laughed to myself – and not peek at it. Spicing my curiosity, however, my mother followed receiving it with a quirky "Is this a love letter, hon?"

I rolled my eyes and she laughed teasingly.

"Why, what a polite man, this Sycamore guy! You let me know if he's interesting enough, maybe we could invite him for dinner?" She then paused, watching me all packed up and ready to go, and corrected herself with a foxy smile "I mean, _I _should invite him for dinner… But only if he's really handsome!"

"Like I would know what's handsome to you, mom!" I replied with slight disgust, going back to the cliché white-haired, long-bearded professor image I had built around him.

"My, my…" – she breathed a long sigh, dropping herself over the couch and gazing at the letter between her fingers. The suspense began to annoy me. What was in that letter that made her sigh?

…I was not ready to admit I was a jealous daughter!

But after a long thoughtful pause, my mother gave release to that sudden weight upon her breast that made her sigh in the first place:

"Yesterday, a baby… Today, a young girl standing at my door, ready to leave, and a letter from some stranger politely asking me permission to snatch my kid away from me…!"

The drama was, hopefully, less dark than it seemed to my ears, for she followed it with a sad laugh:

"You'd better make your mother very proud, Anne! I won't allow letting you out of my sight for anything less than the very best!"

This was it… This was our goodbye, I knew it! I fixed my hat, bowed to my mom and finally, _finally_ felt enthusiasm overweight that lurking dread in my heart. Somehow, I was sure:

"I will, mom!"

I was out of charming Vaniville only a day after arriving!

* * *

I met my friends again on the route to the first gym's city, Santalune, and I was glad to realize that my journey wouldn't be that lonely after all: we were all going together!

There, I found that Calem's family was basically constituted of Pokémon trainers, which made it easy for him capturing new Pokémons. He even handed me some pokeballs and helped me with my first capture: A cute fletching – I thought I could use the familiar 'chirp chirp' to remind me of home and of mom's bird. Speaking of which, I was more than pleased to talk away about the Pokémons we had at home as soon as the subject presented itself, for it drowned Shauna's question about my parents, allowing me to bask in my own life and my own identity for a while longer.

Santalune revealed itself such a welcoming place, that none of us, I'm sure, had time to feel homesick: Through the afternoon Shauna and I went shopping, then we all gathered at a small café for some drinks as the sun set beautifully on the horizon, beyond the trees. The air was filled with the fragrance of numberless flowers, and we could hear, in between Shauna's excited descriptions of we'd seen that day and Tierno's dancing moves' babble, the pleasing and ever-present sound of the water gargling in a fresh fountain nearby.

And as soon as the night set in, I set out for my first gym battle. We celebrated it with an amusing conversation at the hotel until late night, untroubled with how early we were supposed to rise in the next morning.

I was up and about Santalune city before everyone else had even left their hotel rooms the next day. We had all vaguely decided to meet again in the next city – Luminose – for we had an appointment with Professor Sycamore. I had received the instructions – the address, date and stipulated hour – in a card along with mother's letter… She was right about something: that _was_ a beautiful handwriting.

With one badge in my wallet and three pokeballs in my belt – Azure had managed to evolve into its second form after my gym battle, fletching had learned some strong new moves and I had found a lovely female Pikachu to join our team in Santalune Forest – I proudly set foot towards Luminose City!

Luminose felt more like home, I must admit! People everywhere, different colors and shapes of buildings, outdoors and advertisements, the hot and heavy air of a busy city life circling and blending itself with the cozy-looking cafés that each corner reserved… It was maddening to my senses, that had already got accustomed to the tranquil towns and gardens I left behind… But it was utterly exciting!

I was two hours early on my schedule, so I had plenty of time to explore – and consequently get lost! – big Luminose before returning to the lab near the entrance I had come from, at 3pm.

I faced the Lab's door – no one was there yet! I looked for them on the inside of the building – again, nothing!

Though I had decided to sit and wait for them in the comfortable waiting room, the secretary at the entrance soon called me out to warn me that Professor Sycamore was already aware of my arrival, and was waiting for me in the third floor, leaving me no option but to move up and introduce myself.

"Well, alright!" I sighed, suffering having to go alone.

The elevator doors opened, and I was already inside his office.

"Hmm… Professor?" – I murmured little above my breath, for I was easily caught in shyness attacks when alone, as I noticed the empty room.

"Please do come in, Miss Anne…" – An invisible, composed voice sounded from the right side of the office, separated from me by shelves and divisors.

There it was: the suspense again! I felt myself walking slowly towards him. I could hear, in the process, a symphony of strange noises coming from behind there. A pokeball rolled my way, startling me as I was about to step into the Professor's view.

Then, too quickly for my astounded nerves to make out, a large figure leapt my way, landing on the floor and immediately seizing hold of my ankle. I looked down: A man in his mid or late thirties – I really couldn't tell! – crouched upon my feet, holding up the leg that was about to step on the pokeball that had just rolled under it. His touch was warm – too warm! His fingers were too large, his face was too…! I was utterly unprepared for whatever was happening!

"My apologies…" – the man's voice came out, followed by a warm and embarrassed smile, "These guys can be a handful sometimes!"

He slowly grabbed the pokeball and examined it looking for damage, before letting go of me – probably too unaware of how much his unexpected touch had petrified me out of myself.

"I am Professor Sycamore!" – It couldn't be! "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Anne…"

He fluidly stood up and smiled, but just as his eyes left the item he held to meet my gaze, his lips curled up into an upset expression and his eyebrows met in the center of his face. My brain was too melted to make that out as worriedness.

"Miss Anne!", he repeated "Allow me to ask: did you happen to run all the way here?!"

What sort of question was that?! His big blue eyes pierced into mine in such an uncomfortable way, it made me want to run for it! I looked around myself, panicking: where the hell was the white-haired, bearded professor I was hoping for?

"Miss Anne?" – He called again, and I realized I had forgotten to answer him.

"N-N-No!" – I nervously replied.

"How inexplicably odd!" – His face came closer to mine; I flinched, and must have also moaned a little. "You are red as a pepper… And apparently short of breath, too!"

He teasingly moved his face before mine, inspecting my eyes, and I froze in place.

"I hope you are not sick?" – He conjectured at last and, shoving one hand inside the pocket of his dark pants, quickly turned his torso around – releasing me from the shyness spell, as well! – and called "Charmander, come!"

A small flash of energy crossed the room and retrieved a small Pokémon back into its pokeball.

"I'm… I'm terribly sorry!" – I recomposed, also suddenly thrown into a fit of politeness, for the man standing in front of me seemed to demand no less. "I just… got a little scared, and…" I began to explain, feeling the blood rush faster and faster to my cheeks as I realized how awkward my reaction must have been.

…But before I could fully make amends for my previous catatonic state, or finish a sentence altogether, his face was back into mine, halting my tongue, and his hand fell heavy and hot against my forehead.

"Again, forgive me…" – he commenced, and seemed suddenly too grave, engaged in examining me.

That was it! My heart kissed me farewell in the second day of my journey and condemned me to try and live without it, for it now beat faster than my chest could handle. My legs were the second to stop, and though it followed such order, only seconds separated one failure from the other: I fell on my back, right onto the hard floor, right out of Professor Sycamore's touch.

"My, my!" – he sighed frustrated "What's the point of keeping you from falling, if you'd just go ahead and do it again?!" He joked as he circled around my limp body on the floor and stood next to my head, gazing into my eyes. A warm smile crossed his face just as my cheeks started burning brighter, and I could swear they were related.

He offered his hand again, and I decided with myself we would give a truce to the whole heart thumping thing for now, before it got too embarrassing – Why did shyness have to have such an ability to torture itself?

With a gentle yet firm grip, the Professor pulled me up, and I only stopped against his body. His hand – the one that didn't contain my wrist – delicately circled my waist, just to make sure I wouldn't fall back again... He casually let go of me then. Not a cell in his face turned brighter, not a gleam in his eyes lit up with embarrassment. Perhaps that's what it was like to be an adult: composed, mature and carefree; instead of a small grenade overreacting to every little thing!

"A rather strange introduction, I daresay!" He broke the ice "I _do_ hope you're more skilled a trainer than you are a socializer. But worry not, I have dealt with worse cases! My little friend Trevor, who I hope you have met with by now, was such an introvert creature that he could hardly tell it straight to me what was his choice of a first Pokémon… Now he helps me out in any way he can, and every time we meet he has gathered a hundred new questions for me… Isn't that lovely?" He smiled near me again, and I felt like he was talking about a ten-year-old, rather than someone as old me.

Well… I suppose we teenagers _do_ look idiotically young for them! My lack of spine sure wasn't helping my case…

"What I'm saying is… You don't have to hold back on me, Miss Anne… Or feel in any way intimidated by me: I'm sure we will eventually get to know each other better, and you will see that I'm not such a bad person as I might have appeared in that first minute!"

Bad?! Was he implying that I didn't like him? I felt anxiety build inside me to declare him wrong – _much_ too wrong actually, I realized! But, in realizing it, I was caught up in that whirlwind again.

I was glad when he turned his back to me and walked over to his desk, for his eyes were inexplicably too big for me – they were all I could see.

"So here we are, Miss Anne…" He leant on his table, almost sitting on it, and faced me in his calm and warm state.

We were no longer breathing of the same square of air. His eyes were no longer inexplicably big inside mine… talking was easy again:

"Just Anne…" – I replied.

"Why, is that how you want me to call the famous racer Grace's daughter?"

There it was again – the pang of jealousy! The letter, my mother's interest… Her question: was he handsome?! He was… the most beautiful boy I had ever seen in my life! But then again, he wasn't a boy… so how could that be? Why did the center of my chest overreact so awfully, and what should be made of it?

Looking at him made an instant lump grow in my throat – there was absolutely no doubt that he was beautiful, and probably what my mother meant by 'interesting'… so what did that mean? Did it mean she would go out with him?! Would I have to respect him as some sort of surrogate dad? I felt the color return to my face again, but this time inspired by the much uncomfortable fire of anger, so I scared the thought away with a punch to the forehead.

"So… you know her, huh?" My eyes met the floor, following the rug's pattern.

"Know her? Oh no, I don't! It would be a pleasure, though."

Some sort of memory or mental image must have crossed his mind, for the smile in his soft and moist lips stretched farther and his eyes twitched almost imperceptibly. I wish I could demand to know his thoughts, so I could purge and forbid them.

"I do, however…" he continued, giving them word "…remember her from the TV." He stood again and assumed a few passes toward me. "And _you_ too, I'm sure I've seen your face many a time…" This time I had already caught up a fascinating light in his eyes, and made myself too busy looking and examining it to draw back into fear's wide throat. "You have grown quite a lot, though! I might not even have recognized you, if it weren't for your name…!"

Ironically, at the end of such sentence he stood before me with his hands into his pockets – he was so tall, looking down at my face, that the world 'grown' seemed to lose its meaning.

All I had for him after that was an awkward and silent smile, probably tainted with all the blood flushing through my face. He examined such reaction for a bit too long, as if deriving some sort of mean-spirited pleasure in watching me blush so, and let out a chocked giggle eventually – innocent enough to overrule my first impression of a slightly sadistic nature.

"Well, young miss…" he turned around and paced back to his table "it is a pleasure to have you in my team! Let's promise to do a good work, yes? I have something to tell you…" his eyes turned to face me again, and smiled confidently "…all of you!" he waited a few seconds to add, as if teasing me into thinking there was something special about me other than being the daughter of that famous racer.

I felt myself sink slightly into my shoulders. It seemed that only then the professor looked around himself, with an almost grave look, and realized I was the only one of his pupils present.

"Why, where are your friends, young lady?"

"Late, it seems!" I must have let the angry thoughts slip into my voice tone. Things would be endlessly less awkward if they had made it in time.

"I hope they won't take too long…" he looked down on his table, over the holograph of what seemed to be… I assumed a few passes forward, gazing curiously, but the professor quickly closed it before I could grab a satisfactory view. I did, however, seem to make out my face in the formulary's picture – the one I sent volunteering for that position.

He sat himself on his chair, supported his elbows on the table and crossed his finger together. Above his hands he laid his bony chin, where a few short strands of a beard pointed out from his skin. It was a smooth skin… Pale, but not in a sickly way… In fact, it made a very interesting contrast with his dark locks of hair falling over his face and his eyes.

…the air grew heavy again.

In retrospect, it was funny how he allowed me to examined his features freely – he didn't talk from his position for a long minute in which he just looked at me with a fixated smile, almost as if playing statue for my own confused pleasure. I felt nervous at that word… pleasure! Why would I feel that just by looking at him?

"I should ask Sophie to grab you some tea!" – he spurted, feigning to apologize for his indelicacy… but his body didn't move to meet his declared will, almost as if he expected me to say no.

"Don't bother!" – I quickly added.

"Well, I suppose we should get going, after all! Your friends will probably be here soon, but I don't want to leave you hanging much longer, miss Anne… We will have to start without them!"

"Just Anne…" – I repeated in an interiorized murmur.

His tall legs lifted him up again and he walked around the table, facing me.

"I want to battle, if it's okay with you…" – he smiled in the most charming and playful way, reaching for two pokeballs on his table.

I felt immediately unsure and intimidated, deciding I was far from good enough to face a _professor _in a battle! He must have seen an unwanted drop of nervous sweat run down my forehead, for he laughed:

"Oh, don't look so troubled… I should warn you: I'm not that tough!" – he smiled again, thoughtfully giving me confidence!

I decided I liked him already… Though he seemed to refer to me and that small group as "children", there was something very youthful about his manners that seemed to strive to keep us at the same level. It was something curious to see in a grown-up man in a superior position such as his.

"Are you ready? Can I begin?" his voice was warm and soft.

I nodded, reaching for my pokeballs. A satisfying smile crossed his lips, and he sent forward his first choice.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – The toughest battle was fought inwardly.

I tried to keep a cool head throughout the battle – after all, with one gym badge, I couldn't exactly be called a rookie! -, but going against my recently acquainted Professor Sycamore seemed to be something else entirely: I could feel my shoulders stiff and my spirit die in my throbbing chest. Realizing that it was an easy battle only made it worse: As my Pikachu, Chasm, landed a critical attack and ruled out his water type in one hit, I grew nervous. Had he been strong as his many years in my advance should have made him, I would be at peace… Had he defeated me as he ought to do, being a specialist on the field of Pokémon, I wouldn't be so insecure… I would gladly smile and bow to his superiority, but apparently such was not the case. He did warn me though, and he was right: not tough at all!

He grabbed the second pokeball from his table and, holding it between the tips of his fingers, brought it closer to his face and closed his eyes with a confident smile playing about his lips – it felt as if he was enjoying the moment and savoring his expectations on me for the next round. He sent out a grass type…

An angry little creature leapt from its pokeball and seemed ready to gnarl at Chasm, giving me a little fright. The Professor laughed:

"That is my friend Bulbasaur…" by hearing its name, Bulbasaur looked back on the Professor with faithful eyes. "She is hot-headed, just like you, miss Anne!"

"M-M-Me?! A hot-head?!" I shivered and blushed.

"Why, you _are_ terribly nervous, I can see it from here!"

I smiled awkwardly and quickly looked away, losing the very composure of my body with embarrassment.

Bulbasaur, however, wasn't as happy with merely standing there and scrutinizing my shyness with a piercing smile as Professor Sycamore seemed to be: The Pokémon impatiently whipped the floor near Chasm's feet, producing a quick slash and giving my Pikachu a scare. She jumped to my arms and Bulbasaur gnarled what seemed like a triumphant laugh.

My eyes immediately sought a judge for such offense: but Professor Sycamore couldn't help but laugh himself! He then rubbed his Jaw – his fingers producing a soft sound as they scratched against his beard stubbles – and sighed in a thoughtful, surrendering way:

"That was a taste of Bulbasaur's Vine Whip… Though unrequired!" His eyes grew heavy upon his Pokémon, in the manner of a scold. Bulbasaur's little ears dropped.

I was next. I looked down at my Pikachu among my arms. She looked into my eyes, waiting:

"Chasm, land a thunder shock!"

Professor Sycamore watched carefully as Chasm jumped from my arms and, midair, performed her attack. I began to realize that the battle was much more about him analyzing me than it was about winning, and things started to make sense – as they did, I smiled more confidently, now capable of fearlessly doing my best!

…The attack was unsuccessful though, as it hit Bulbasaur right on the spot but didn't seem to cause it much damage: after the small flash of energy pouring from Chasm's body vanished, Bulbasaur grinned, baring its little pointy teeth. Professor Sycamore pointed out in my direction and gave out the order:

"Vine whip!" He shouted directly.

…And though I had seen that attack before, I still lost to him: Chasm was defeated with Bulbasaur's harshness.

"Dammit…" – I squeezed my next pokeball with nervous fingers.

"Grass-typed Pokémons are resistant against electricity, you are learning it now!" Sycamore pointed out.

I sent out Fletching next, and he smiled, contented:

"Very well! Though your Fletching is probably too young to know any fire moves, it should still prove resistant to Bulbasaur's attacks… Even if it didn't, it's still a better choice than your Froakie!"

Yes, I was sure now: It was all about analyzing me! Why else would he already know my team?!

The battle went on for a few turns more. I enjoyed the reassuring remarks and satisfied smiles the Professor flashed at me whenever I thought up a good strategy, so I was soon too busy trying to make a good game to feel nervous, and too excited by his compliments to quiver and wish to disappear from his sight.

And when it was over – when Azure defeated a rather coward Charmander – I felt slightly disappointed – not because it was much easier than I expected from a man in Sycamore's position, but because it ended so soon… And there would be no more showing how smart I was. And no more of his sweet smiles parting my way…

He had saved a last one though: He sighed and dropped his shoulders, pretending to feel for the defeat:

"You got me, Anne! I guess you are too much for me…"

I giggled inwardly on how awesome receiving his recognition felt.

"You _did _manage to evolve your Froakkie into a Frogadier before I could notice, though! Not sure I can call it a fair fight…" He paced in my direction, stopping right before me.

"Well, we both know you would absolutely crush me if you had meant it…" I looked away before saying it, for his gaze was too close.

"_Crush you_!" – he played with the sound of the words, and, without previous warning, his fingers were on me again: they seized my chin, held them with a delicacy I hardly deserved, and pulled it sideways so that my eyes were facing him again.

I was wrong! I had _not_ improved my confidence in that battle! I had _not_ outgrown the sick and unknown feeling his touch brought to my heart. There it was, racing faster than mom's rhyhorn again!

He twitched his eyebrows and smiled at me, still holding my face so that my eyes couldn't escape his:

"…Why would I ever do something that hostile to you, _miss Anne?_!" and he eyed me longer, waiting for the answer.

"It's… It's…" – I began to mutter when I realized he wouldn't let me go until I had given it to him "It's just an… expression…"

"Oh, is it? I'm glad you don't think such thing of me, then!"

Finally freed from his touch, I could try to rehab my hyperventilation.

"You have impressive skills, Anne! I'm glad I chose you… There was never a doubt in me that I wouldn't regret it, of course, but I must say… I am impressed!"

I blushed, now too close to even try to hide, and his eyes danced around my face: I could see his blue irises moving slightly from one spot to the other, examining every little inch of a reaction. I thought I'd seen his smile stretch a little farther when he noticed the heat coming to my cheeks then, almost pleased by it. Was that why he held my face? Because he wanted to make sure he saw my reaction to his words?

I was glad he couldn't hear my heartbeat!

"Now, would you let me have a look at your Pokédex?" He broke the silence after what seemed a much too long stare contest.

"Sure!"

I picked it from my purse and handed it over. His hands encircled mine delicately, making sure I wouldn't drop the thing on the floor: a smart move, for my arms felt slightly numb.

"Impressive! You have seen over sixty Pokémons on your way from Vaniville! Excuse me, if you will…"

With a quick and elegant pace of his long legs he carried himself away from me, the air near me still held his perfume and his warmth for a few seconds after, that's how close to me he stood, and how quickly he left.

It was slightly sad that he was now gone to his table, caught up with the excitement of his gear that I had been carrying. It seemed as if he was willing to exchange me for that little private encyclopedia I had been unintentionally gathering for him.

…I felt a pang of jealousy, but it burned much differently from the one I felt regarding mom. How very curious! And how very poignant, too!

"I must transfer your data to my computer and start studying it right away!" He said enthusiastically. "Sixty Pokémon… Imagine how many you can see once you've crossed the entire Kalos region! My, my…"

I kicked the floor and crossed my arms behind my back, missing the attention I had previously received.

"I'll also just…" his voice began to feign an explanation, but then trailed off into a murmur while his eyes quickly flickered my way, checking my position. It seemed odd… My eyebrows tightened.

"Just a minor installment, I hope you don't mind!" – He flashed me a lovely smile that immediately disarmed my suspicion.

"Here… and there…" He made some sort of last adjustments to my Pokédex, unplugged the cable and walked back in my direction, his eyes distracted by the small screen in his hands.

"You can have it back now, Anne…" He stopped with a hand in his pocket and the other handing the gear over to me.

As I reached for it, his smile stretched and his eyes grew warmer, bluer still:

"You are, indeed, a very interesting trainer…"

I blushed one last time, but my eyes didn't dare leave his – they were effectively stuck, captured… As was I, as I should later discover.

It took me so long staring into his gaze, that I didn't realize I was holding my Pokédex but had forgotten to remove it from his hands.

For some strange reason, he didn't rush me either.

"Where is he?!" – A foreigner, intrusive, excited voice sounded across the office.

"Professor Sycamore?!" a second one followed, and it was as if my ears could bleed.

"Shhh, they're here!" – I heard Shauan giggle, and when I turned to greet them, Calem stared at us with a rather awkward expression.

"Why, children! You're all here!" Professor Sycamore quickly dropped my hands and stretched his arms in a welcoming gesture, following in their direction.

Again, I had been the only one to sustain a vital, painful connection to his being… I was the only one hurting to see it interrupted.

Calem ignored the warm reception and walked straight to me. His hand held my shoulder - a small hand, his touch too hot, everything wrong with it! His eyes looked worried:

"Are you okay?!" He whispered, probably reading into my expression.

"I'm fine…" – I grunted "And you're late… All of you!" I accused bitterly.

"Late?" Shauna began, catching ear of what I'd said "It must be a misunderst-"

"I was just about to distribute your new partners… each one of you can pick one!" – Professor Sycamore added enthusiastically, above any parallel take that Calem, Shauna and I might be leading.

"A new one?! Wow!" – Calem ran to his side, excited.

"Oh yes, but be calm all of you, now…" – They encircled him, and I stood where I was, still holding my Pokédex. The magic of the compliments, of the brilliancy I seemed to hold in his esteem… They all glowed, igniting me to life… but now there was only the trace of the previous ember, I felt myself slowly fading into ashes.

Professor Sycamore smiled to them… They all looked up to him like an idol, like someone they wanted to be when they grew up – I wasn't the only one captured and mesmerized by his eyes. And, in his eyes, they were all equally special – equally unique, however silly that might sound! It was pretentious and naïve of me to think I was different… To think that maybe all of his glares and all of his smiles meant something else.

"Waaa! A Bulbasaur!" I heard their excitements rise, and slowly assumed my paces into that circle.

Hopefully, they were all too busy – Professor included – to realize what a gloomy state had taken over me. And what was left for the sore spirit, the one that couldn't share the collective radiance? …A Charmander held tightly to the Professor's pants, softly trembling – his big eyes surveying the scary faces all around him. It was pitiful to watch!

"I guess that leaves Anne with my little friend Charmander here…" The professor looked my way and smiled. Now, among the others, I could see how really distant his smile _actually_ was!

"This Charmander travelled from a long way to get here to Kalos… Just like you, Anne. I hope you will be very patient with him, and take a very good care of him."

He transferred the warm little body to my arms and I held him. Charmander let out sad cries, like those of puppies.

"Don't worry, boy! The two of you will make very good friends!" Professor Sycamore petted his head, and I realized that the little creature grieved because it didn't want to leave his side.

Yes… we would probably make good friends!

"And I'll keep my eye on you…" Sycamore whispered close to his ear, reassuringly, as if I represented some kind of threat. I rolled my eyes.

"Now, kids… Who wants to know about mega evolutions?"

They all screamed in excitement.

_Next chapter: What is the professor hiding? And what's wrong with you, Charmander?_


	3. Chapter 3 - What's wrong with Charmander

I could see the strong bond of admiration and friendship that Trevor had managed to build between himself and Professor Augustine Sycamore – it was almost like a tangible, dense fiber connecting one brain to the other, all perceived through the long explanation of what the latter believed to be mega evolutions.

Charmander was still too scared, too sickly looking for me to return him to his Pokeball; and though shielding him from all the strange faces that seemed to scare him should prove quicker to diminish his fear, I decided that hugging him and holding him close to my heart should do it in a most warming way – he would hopefully feel protected by me. But was that really the reason why I involved the soft Pokémon so tightly between my arms, or was it because _I _needed his heat against what seemed like an empty chest?

"_That_ right there is a bond, you silly brain!" My inner voice was harsh with my decision-making organ, hoping it would stop secreting the happy hormones whenever Professor Sycamore moved, making his long strand of black hair brush across his face like a gentle caress.

Trevor was clearly the professor's friend – they talked smart, discussed theories together, Trevor helped him like a devoted little assistant, and had been doing so for a long while.

…And I… What was I? Oh yeah, I remembered now with sarcasm… "The Rhyhorn racer's daughter" – it was his voice in my head that I heard pronouncing such words, which made the thought even grimmer.

I smiled at my own silliness and dropped my head so that my cap would hide my eyes in its shadow – which one was deeper, I did not know.

The awaited farewell came, and it proved as disappointing as the entire reunion with my friends and the Professor – among them I was, indeed, only another one of those 'children', the special treatment resumed to nothing but a wild dream.

…I don't recall him even looking my way during that general goodbye in front of the elevator as the doors slowly closed, cutting off my view to him.

Back on the busy street of Luminose, new instructions guided our collective journey, now that we had finally met our tutor: we were to set out and see as many Pokémons as we could, sure, that was the original plan… But, while exploring Kalos, we were to keep an eye out for those mysterious 'mega evolutions'.

Trevor was, in his own right, overly excited with a new scientific breakthrough. Looking at him in his sudden concentration, I could almost picture him years from now wearing a white coat like Sycamore, sitting behind a table and searching nonstop… Would he look just as handsome?

"Mega evolutions…" – Trevor mused, his eyes dug into the sidewalk as if his life depended on that thought – "What do you think it takes to achieve it?"

"You mean other than this rock?!" I picked it from my pocket. They were part of the key to unlock those fourth evolutions, Sycamore said as he handed them out to us.

"I'm sure there is more to it…" – he mused on.

"Don't you guys think the Professor's onto something?!" – Calem's voice sounded grim.

All eyes met him, wide with surprise – except for Trevs, he was still secluded inside his own fascinating thoughts.

"What do you mean 'Onto something'?" Shauna demanded in a mix of curiosity and irritability.

Calem looked ahead, towards the orange light of the sun setting between those tall buildings, choosing carefully his words:

"He knows more than he revealed us, that's what I felt."

"Nonsense." – Trevor's tone was so monotonous, and his eyes were still so distant, that we could barely tell if he was talking to us or to himself.

"Ohh! And did you guys take a look at _that_ guy waiting to talk to Professor Sycamore?!" – Shauna added "He looked… _veeeery _suspicious!"

"Who, the holocaust guy?!" – Tierno sped up a few paces, reaching us.

He was received with a playful slap to the back of the head that Shauna had to jump in order to deliver.

"It's _Holo Caster_!"

"Yeah, whatever…"

"He went on about making the world beautiful and stuff…" – Calem added with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing wrong with that… Maybe the guy just likes… I don't know, beautiful things?!" – I wondered.

"Yes, but… he said it in a very weird, creepy way."

For a minute or two, we were all caught in that mysterious air, looking ahead and thinking the facts over our heads. I could feel a chill going down my spine.

"Only one way to find out, I guess!" – I sighed "We have to investigate those mega evolutions…"

"Smartest thing you guys said all day…" Again in a most monotonous tone, Trevor added, proving he _was_ paying attention after all.

The subject died as we kept walking in silence.

"Heeeeey!" - Shauna screamed to life eventually, and protested with a fresh excitement "What was that all about, accusing us of being late?!"

"What? Oh, that... You guys were totally late!"

The distant feel of the heat returning to my cheeks could be felt as a trail of what it was like to be alone with Professor Sycamore.

"We were perfectly on time, each and every one of us! I made sure no one would be late…" – Trevor added, and he was just too serious to be lying.

"But the note said…" My voice died, now unsure.

"4pm…" Calem confirmed, hesitantly – as if he didn't want to prove me wrong.

"Yes, 4pm!" Both Shauna and Tierno agreed.

"Hum… was that it? I could swear I read 3pm in mine!"

Though I was not sure at first, and casually assumed I had just misread it, under further thought there was no mistaking: I was too nervous, too naturally embarrassed to get it wrong and risk getting there earlier than everyone else! It definitely said 3 pm!

"What were you two doing all that time, anyway?" Calem asked, a hint of passion lurking behind his voice.

"Huh? Uh… he just went on about Pokémons. And he updated my Pokédex." – I quickly removed it from my pocket, remembering to check if there were any visible changes on the software.

"He did what?!" – Trevor leapt to my side, looking curiously – and nervously, too, as if he had missed something extremely important.

"Oooh! I think he forgot to update mine!" – Shauna gave voice to Trevor's frustration with a doleful cry.

"He didn't touch mine either…" – Calem replied.

I casually slid the thing back to my pocket, feeling the heaviness of all their glares on top of me now.

"I'm… sorry?" – it was all I could think of saying.

Apparently, getting there earlier than everyone else didn't only just harm me and my silly teenage heart.

…Special treatment! – I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"Okay, where are we going now?!" – Eventually Calem took the lead and stopped, standing in front of us.

"We should check out one of these cafés… There must be something great about them, otherwise there wouldn't be so many!" – Tierno pointed out.

"As for tradition, Anne and I will go shopping! Won't we, Anne?!"

"I say we should follow gate 5 and head out to Camphrier town. There is a long way ahead of us until the second gym badge, and we should start following it now if we want to find anything new on mega evolutions…" Trevor suggested before I could answer her.

The group's face showed a collective dismay over the idea, though.

"Okay" Calem sighed at last "I think we should do as Trevor says!"

All were surprised: Trevor's rush could be blamed on how enthusiastic he was about chasing Sycamore's research… But what was Calem's motive?

"But… but… shouldn't we stay and visit the cafes and the boutiques and hair salons and…" – Her list went on.

Calem looked behind his shoulder – Sycamore's lab was far behind now, and he shrugged:

"Somehow, I can't wait to get out of his city!"

I looked behind, hoping I could see the trail of what inspired such aversion in him. I heard him moan as the group reassumed the march: "Feels like I'm being watched…"

* * *

As we crossed the fifth gate, the group eventually disbanded – Calem and I 'raced' our way uphill to Camphrier town battling all the trainers we could find. Tierno stayed behind, mesmerized by the roller-skaters at the skate park just outside of Luminose; Shauna went straight to town and Trevor took his time collecting Pokémon data.

Halfway through to Camphrier I caught up with Calem. Night had already fallen, and we both agreed, cold and tired, that it wasn't such a good idea to rush ahead as Trevor had suggested, instead of spending the night in Luminose city – It was hardly the warmth and comfort that the city's many luxuries promised, but the sole meaning of the name that was so alluring as to give us the idea of a solace: The night was proving itself such a dark one, we could hardly see our way through the high bushes.

I was forced, as the only means to our salvation, to abuse my already tired from battle, already naturally feeble Charmander as a source of light, and the three of us managed to cross the darkness and get into small Camphrier in one piece, though the same couldn't be said about our nerves. Shauna awaited at the Pokémon center, worried sick about our well-being. Tierno and Trevor had decided to return to Luminose as soon as the dark descended, she said, and Calem and I were the only ones to stay out so late!

In my separate hotel room, I washed myself from the cold drops of drizzle and then sat at the window, with the lights off, staring off into that pitch-black sky where a few brave stars dared shine. My chest was still cold, still slightly frenzied after getting lost with Calem – that mixed with the humiliating embarrassment I felt from meeting Sycamore and from giving in to his charms as much as I did… The whole formed a much too bitter taste in my mouth and a lump in my throat that I awkwardly tried to swallow.

"I thought this was all about growing mature…" I let myself think loudly, and I could almost see Sycamore's disdainful smile – the one that gracefully said I was too young a child to worry like that about grown-up feelings. "...then why do I feel so small?!"

Looking over my shoulder, Azure, Chasm and Fletchinder all slept curled up on the fuzzy rug beside my bed, a peaceful slumber rocked them. But Charmander… he was nowhere to be seen!

I jumped from the window and across the room, calling his name – to no avail, though: the creature still refused to answer me, though not in a stubborn way: It looked as if he was always too sad, too broken hearted to care about me!

I found him squatted on the corner of the bathroom, shaking silently. His eyes twitched as if he was in pain and a quiet puppy cry escaped through his little bared teeth. It was painful to watch!

I should have proved myself a mature trainer then… It was my _one_ chance to assume responsibility and take care of those little lives I had compromised myself with. After all, it was my fault: If I had been a strong, decided, confident trainer as Calem was, I'm sure Charmander wouldn't be letting himself sink so low. I wrapped him in my arms, pulled him to my chest, but he wouldn't stop shaking – he wouldn't stop fretting! What did I do, then? What did Charmander's trainer do to comfort him? I broke into sob myself, that day proving itself a long and humiliating one, much more than I could handle upon my untrained shoulders! I now hated Kalos. I wanted to go back home… I wish I had never set out for that stupid journey to begin with!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Lonely Deerling

"Are you sure… Are you sure it's okay to go without you?!" Trevor hesitantly asked – I could see he was doing his best to be nice, but I could also hear the fear in his voice: fear that I would say 'no', that I would ask them to wait for me. He was just too eager for that! I smiled at his almost failed attempt.

"Yes, I'm sure… go ahead!"

"We could stick around for a few hours… I'm sure there's no harm in that! Is there, guys?!" Shauna pleaded.

"I don't know how long Charmander's exams will take… It's best that you guys go ahead, I'll catch up as soon as we're ready!"

"In that case, I'm staying with you!" Calem's hand weighed on my shoulder and his smile pierced into my brain, uncomfortably. ."

"Hm, it's okay…" I smiled with embarrassment "You must help Trevor out… keep him out of trouble if he tries to look at the big ones too closely, you know?!"

"I can't leave you behind with a sick Pokémon…" – he pondered.

"…It's okay, it's… fine…" I repeated, hoping it would sink into myself eventually and become true "I'm sure it will do us some good to spend some time alone, Charmander and I…" I sighed "I guess I've yet to show him I'm his trainer. I want him to know I'm by his side now… That we're a team!"

He gave me a sad smile, still torn between going ahead and staying with me in Camphrier until Charmander was released from the Pokémon center.

"You can face it as a cue to surpass me, how about that?!" – I teased, aware that pleading to his pride would be more effective than to his heart.

"Ha! It's not like I need it, neighbor…" He fell, smiling his shiny smile again "…But I get you."

I dismissed all the long farewells, resuming them with a simple 'I'll see you guys soon', even though I had not yet decided if I would want to continue with them. After I watched them march away, I returned to the Pokémon center to wait.

…But hours went by. Dawn turned into dusk, and there was still not a clue of what was wrong with my Charmander. His vital signs were abnormal, unstable… he wouldn't stop crying in his small voice, his little facial muscles would never relax, and there seemed to be no organic cause to it. That only left me the more frightened!

The nurses eventually advised that I returned to my room and waited there – They suspected _my presence_ might be proving unsettling to Charmander and decided to experiment his reactions in my absence, so I returner and waited alone, worried – every minute felt like an hour, and eventually the hours did accumulate: it was 10 pm when I received a call from Calem in my Holo Caster. It was strangely comforting to see his face:

"How are things going? We thought you'd be here by now…!" He began, not wasting any words with a greeting.

I explained Charmander's situation as best as I could without dropping a tear. They were all as confused as I was, but Trevor had his advice: He pulled Calem from the camera, pointing it to himself:

"You should take him back to Professor Sycamore! He will probably know what to do!"

I felt my heart skip a beat or two.

"What? But… it's… it's so late!" I saw Calem's face twitch, disapprovingly.

"It's no good leaving the Pokémon as he is… Anne should do something right away! It's _her _responsibility!"

Responsibility… That word sounded so heavy! But he was right… I was being a coward again, and it was time I acted directly against such feeble will: I didn't want to see Sycamore – I hated all those feelings he stirred inside of me… I hated how he seemed to touch separate strings inside my chest, and all in vain… But if it was for Charmander, I would do it! It might be the only way for him to acknowledge me as his trainer.

"Well, just be careful…" Calem advised with a heavy sigh.

I had to do some snatching to retrieve my Charmander from the medical cares of the Pokémon Center – they advised that I left my Pokémon there because of the instability of his signs, but they didn't have any perspective of diagnostic or improvement, therefore nothing was being done to him but watch – no drugs administered, no treatments whatsoever. He was as good as if he was with me – The difference was that, if his body manifested any sign of an actual disease, I might not be able to recognize it… and might not get him his treatment soon enough. Once he was in my pokeball, safely in my bag… I had to hurry!

In that particular night the moon was gentle: It shone its silver ray upon lonely route 5 as I ran, panting and coughing as the cold air assaulted my chest. I might have sobbed, too, between those tormenting thoughts: Was I doing the right thing? What would become of me if something happened to Charmander? The tree crowns brushed the night sky, quickly left behind, and the sleepy wild Pokémon eyes those bushes might house were the only witnesses to that cold crusade, and to how low my state sank into that scary night.

* * *

Luminose's lights still shone brightly, bright as if they'd never known the dark surrounding the city walls. The Pokémon lab was just around the corner, and I stopped to catch my breath as I gazed up toward the windows – there were no lights on inside… Was I too late to catch anyone there?

As I approached the door, however, my eyes detected a slight movement: it was the door knob, moving in place. My insides turned cold and my legs threatened to tremble… It was only then that I realized how much Sycamore had moved me, and how utterly hard it seemed having to face him again!

But, for the distress or relief of my stretched nerves, it wasn't him: A handsome woman walked out into the night, then turned to lock the door. I recognized her as one of Sycamore's assistants. It was quite dark there, where the two of us stood, for the café's lights cast a shadow over the lab, and she received a little fright when she came across my trembling figure:

"Oh my! You scared me, young lady!" Was her initial reaction, in the tune of an upset reproach… She then eyed me, probably perceiving the sad state I was in: "Tell me at once, in one word only, what you are doing here!"

It felt like a mother's reproach – comforting, actually! – even though she was probably too young to have a daughter my age. Still, I couldn't help but feel childish and obediently comply:

"Sycamore." – I used one word, as demanded.

Her eyes grew wide.

"And aren't you too young for him, child?! Do you have any idea of what type of man-" The reproach went on, harsher still.

I blushed so hard I thought my head would explode, and proceeded to interrupt her as soon as I could, before her words would damage my resolve:

"Noo, wait! NO! That's… not what I mean!"

"Ohhh!" It was _she_ who blushed now, clearly embarrassed "Forgive-me, kid! I should have known, for a second there I thought that… Phew!" Her hand was in her head, and she sighed with relief. "Tell me what troubles you, then! But be quick about it – I have an important meeting in just a few minutes".

"It's my Charmander… There's something wrong with him! I need to talk to Sycamore about it!"

"Have you tried the Pokémon center right there?!" She gracefully pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

"I have. They can't do anything about it!" I was growing inpatient.

"I don't think Sycamore can, either! You should go home…" She eyed me from above with a mix of pity and hardness.

"I _must_ see him!" – I pursued, my voice sounding much more scared than I intended.

She sighed again.

"Okay, have your way… But I can't stay with you! I really, _really _have to go..." She apologized for something I did not quite understand yet.

"That's… fine, I guess."

I felt her hand fall on my head, followed with another long sigh:

"No, it's _not_ fine! There's no one else in there but him. I'm worried about you! You're too young and too pretty to be left alone with a man like him, you know?!" She sounded dramatic and playful at the same time.

"Why?!" I inquired, recalling the conversation Calem and the gang were having yesterday about Sycamore.

"Why? Well…" She picked her words "He is no saint, I tell you as much!"

"How so?!" My curiosity got the best of me.

"He is _that_ peculiar type of men who… Well… Uhm…" She awkwardly mused aloud.

I guess the assistant grew tired of my heavy, curious and unknowing glare upon her, for she shouted, now inpatient:

"My! Didn't your mother teach you anything about men, little girl?!"

I guess she was too busy being interested in them for that matter…

"Let's just put it like this, okay? Have you ever seen those documentaries on TV… about… what happens when a Pyroar spots a lonely deerling in the nature?"

I was getting more and more confused.

"Ugh! Well, just watch your back, okay kid? Professor Sycamore is what one might call a ladies' man, and of the worst kind! You can go ahead: He's on the third floor. Please, knock before coming inside. I wish you good luck with your Charmander…"

Her eyes were warm at last, and she quickly parted, leaving the door unlocked for me.

I thought about what she said as I entered the dark, empty reception room. Pyroars eat the lonely deerlings… A chill of dread ran down my spine.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Roothless Pyroar

The elevator screeched through the silent building, then it beeped, opening its doors inside Sycamore's lab. I assumed a careful step inside, looking around in the dark – a faint moonlight penetrated through the windows and served as the only source of light. The floor and every surface shone subtly under that silver spell.

"Sophie, didn't I dismiss you already?!" I heard his tired voice, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps.

Sycamore crossed his office and was suddenly in front of me. I froze, surprised by his looks: He no longer wore his coat, and his blue shirt was unbuttoned halfway down, revealing the soft contours of his chest muscles.

His face looked tired – his hair slightly more messed than its natural style guaranteed.

"Why… Anne!" His voice dropped quite a few pitches, and sounded warm and solacing… it was enough to melt all my defenses against him!

"Professor Sycamore! It's Charmander… he's…." I started sobbing, my throat tensed up with all the torment I had been holding out.

"Hey… Shhh, shh… Calm down now, okay? Tell me peacefully… what is wrong with him?!" His hands reached me, encircled me and rested on my back. They'd occasionally rub my skin there in a form of incentive.

"I don't know… No one does! He's just… sad…" I explained.

"Well, why don't you let me take a look at him?!" His voice was almost a quiet whisper, meant specially to soothe my nerves.

I reached for my pokeball and observed with a childish sob. Professor Sycamore encouraged me with a warm and patient smiled. I was reminded that even though the strings he touched in me would later produce pain, being in his presence was the most soothing remedy.

I released Charmander. The silence that both me and Sycamore seemed reluctant to break with more than whispers was immediately pierced by the beginning of the Pokémon's puppy cry. I saw Charmander begin to embrace himself in his saddest expression, when suddenly his eyes lit up – he looked about himself, recognizing the lab, then he darted immediately to Sycamore, jumping and grabbing hold of his leg. The latter laughed, playfully trying to be rid of the creature's grip.

"Hello there, little one! I missed you, too!"

I watched in amazement as all of Charmander's sadness washed away, instantly replaced by overwhelming joy.

"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him…" Sycamore reached him out and lifted him, observing closely. Charmander squirmed in his hands, desperate to play. "In fact, he looks much happier than when he left…"

I felt myself sink a little – _I_ was the problem, indeed! Charmander couldn't wait to return to Sycamore, and that was the cause of his strange behaviors.

"I swear he looked like he could die just a few minutes ago…" I couldn't help but bitterly observe, then sighed.

I was relieved that there was nothing serious going on with him, of course… But I was also consumed with frustration now, showing Sycamore how I was _not_ that brilliant trainer he had seen in me the day before.

"You, on the other hand…" He dropped Charmander and walked closer "You look like you've taken quite the beating."

"I ran all the way from Camphrier here, scared that he might just…" The words died in a mad sigh before I could utter them.

"Shhh, don't worry… Calm down now…!" Professor Sycamore's hands held my shoulders and leaded me into his office.

"He was trembling, and crying… He did so all night!" – I pursued, justifying myself and my anger.

"I'm sure he did!" Sycamore casually giggled. "Sit down for a while, will you? I'll make you a hot tea to beat the cold wind outside."

"But he _did_!" – I pursued, overwhelmed by the feeling that Sycamore did not believe me.

He closed his eyes to enjoy a large smile, his voice unchanged:

"I believe you!" – Was his short statement.

Though he declared so, I was sure he did not – His blue eyes shone gentle and mocking at the same time, unnerving me.

I sat myself at a small couch near the window. He was gone to the other side of his office for a short few minutes, and then returned with two boiling mugs.

He placed one of them at his desk, sat himself by my side crossing his long legs and stretching his arm over the couch's back, then offered me the other. By accepting it, I felt suddenly embarrassed by how close to mine his face was.

"A-as I was saying, Charmander seemed really, really sick…" I pursued, annoyed by Sycamore's disbelief.

"Poor thing, you must have worried so much…" His words sounded distant.

"And now he's alright… What could it be?!"

"Do you want me to try to answer that, Anne?" I dared looking in his direction then: his eyes followed my body in a weird, unnatural way – unnatural to _him_, at least! "…or are you just angry?"

He seemed… strangely distant then.

"I… I want you to answer it, of course."

"Well…" He sighed lazily, his fingers – the ones from the hand he stretched behind me – rubbed against my shoulders, then squeezed the muscles gently "If it will help you relax, I shall try: This Charmander is a little more demanding than your average Pokémon. You see, he never had a mother… so he tends to be a little… needy. I do, however, guarantee that once the two of you are sufficiently attached, he will be a precious ally!"

"Oh…"

Silence took over. I didn't move a muscle in my position – not even to taste the tea he had given me – but I could feel his eyes weighing a ton on me. They killed me with embarrassment.

"It _was_ very nice of you to come all the way here so he could see me again…" His voice brushed against my ear. It sounded different – both softer and more intense than it used to be, in a perfect match with the poorly-lit room. "I'm sure he'll grow to love you for that…"

I did it again – I dared gazing in his direction again, and…

"Oh…" It was all I could mutter, caught up in the surprise of how close and how piercing his eyes were. I couldn't look away now, and I saw the instant that a malicious smile stretched across his lips, aware of it.

"…But you risked yourself a great deal to get here, didn't you? That makes you both quite brave, and quite… Reckless."

"I… It wasn't for that. It wasn't for a caprice…" I began to justify, still angry, but this time my voice failed to express it.

I could swear Sycamore moved a few inches closer.

"…I… I thought he could…"

Dammit, work brain! Work! – I scolded myself, and would have punched my own head if my arms didn't feel strangely numb.

As if caught up in the perfect trap, my eyes trailed their way to his lips. They stretched farther still and a small, charming laugh crossed them.

"…die…" – I completed with a defeated sigh.

"Die!" Sycamore's voice repeated, throbbing into my ears in his mocking tone "…such strong words to describe a single feeling."

"A feeling?" I asked, confused into my hypnotic state.

"Why, yes…" His voice was quick, as if answering a very obvious question "Those strange feelings that bring us to do silly things, Anne…"

"I think you're misunderstanding" – I began.

His two fingers encircled my chin, he showed his teeth through a presumptuous smile and, before I could react to the sudden touch of his hot skin against mine, his lips quickly and softly pressed against mine – I could not tell for how long they'd been like that, when it began or how… I could only gasp!

My mind reacted by firing a load of loud alarms! My body, however, refused to answer with such urgency: it ached, burned, lingered closer and closer to the flame of Sycamore's chest approaching mine.

When his free hand held my waist, though, I gathered the courage! I pulled my burning face from his and moaned a weak plead:

"Sycamore!"

"Shhhh. don't fight it, Anne…" His arms wrapped around me, pulling me against his chest. I shrugged, shrunk, squirmed against his perfumed shirt, fighting for freedom. "You're like a scared kitty…" His lips caught me off guard, caressing my ears and letting out a playful laugh.

"Sycamore, let me go!" I yelped, jumping from his hands.

"Don't be so rough, darling… You might hurt yourself!" He played on, grabbing my torso within his large hands, holding me so that, in my frenzied yank, I would end up landing on his lap.

He quickly pushed me down against the sofa, supported himself on his knees and caressed my face with the brush of a long finger that ran down to the base of my neck. All the while he flashed me a confident smile, his cheeks picking up a bright color as his eyes fell deeper into mine:

"Why, you little girls really _are_ something else!" He giggled to himself.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about! Now let me go…" – I insisted.

"Do you really want that, now?" His face drew closer, so close that I could feel the heat of his breath "I found all your excuses lovely – they quite amused me, I daresay! But don't worry, it's just the two of us here now… You can collect your prize. It _was_ a long way here, after all…"

That being said, he sighed as if in surrender and bowed down placing, again, his burning lips against mine. I closed my eyes tightly – hoping that would keep the heat from invading me – but I could see the picture of his gorgeous face in my closed lids, too. It was too much to resist…

Soon, his tongue caressed mine, moving freely inside my mouth. I opened my eyes and gasped, feeling a weird, supreme sting take over my insides. It was scary, and pleasant, and bitter and oh… oh so sweet!

I closed my eyes again, but this time they weren't tight…

Our lips parted just so that he could sigh victoriously through his grin:

"See? Isn't this a better understanding?"

And though such sentence stung against my pride, I couldn't do anything about it – Professor Sycamore had his body on top of mine, burning hot against mine… His tongue intruding, caressing, tasting, moving like in a kiss… And it _was_ a kiss! – Enlightenment struck me.

It was my first kiss! – surprise struck me.

It was my first kiss, with Professor Sycamore! – It turned into the most pleasurable form of joy!

…But then it started growing. It evolved, burned brighter… scorched my skin!

Sycamore's large hand freely ran down my chest, caressed its way to my knees – separated them, slowly and delicately placing his torso between them, then his fingers started sliding down my thighs and under my skirt. Only then, where I could hardly recognize him as my meek tutor, I remembered his assistant's words… the documentary, the ruthless Pyroar sinking its teeth into the trembling Deerling's neck, fatally!

It was scary now – invasive, unasked for! I pushed his shoulders off me.

"Anne?!" He inquired, surprised by my violent jerk.

"Sycamore! I… I don't know what you think I've come here to do… but… Charmander, he was sick and… And then you…" My eyes grew wider as I began to process those facts "And you… you kissed me?!"

I quickly stood from the sofa and walked the room, sinking into the surprise of that feeling, touching my lips to recreate it.

A confident smile played about his lips again, and he followed after me. His fingers held my shoulders and spun me around.

"And with your excuse, I shall do it again…" He softly touched his forehead to mine and held my chin. I saw it when his wet lips slowly opened, his eyes closed and a pink, fresh tongue moved against his teeth, ready to kiss me.

Before he could approach, panic took over me again - my body ignited in an uncomfortable way.

"No… No, I can't…" I slapped his hands away and ran for it…

Of course, I couldn't run too far when his arms enveloped me as they did, holding me almost in the air and placing me back in front of him.

His eyes pierced deep into mine and he flashed me a crooked smile, walking against me and forcing me to walk back in the same speed.

His arm stretched, rested on the wall that had just imprisoned me between itself and his body, and I gulped my coward heart that tried to climb my throat.

"Whatever is the matter?" He sounded almost drunk as his fingers tediously played with my blouse's tie.

"I… I don't know what this is, I don't know what's going on here…"

"Let me teach you with more than words, then…"

There came his lips again! I closed my eyes and looked sideways, shuddering.

"Please don't…!" – I pleaded, preparing myself to feel that torturing feeling again…

…

Nothing happened!

I opened my eyes, cautiously at first… Then I saw him: Sycamore had aborted the kiss, he now looked at me in a strange, inquiring way.

"Forgive me, Anne…" he sounded composed, respectful, meek again… Like the man I had met yesterday "But I am beginning to think you are not ready for this…"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" I yelled with my scorched nerves.

His eyebrows furrowed and he seemed to fall deep into musing, as if what I presented him with was an incomprehensible mystery.

"Well, what is it, then? Should I take it slowly?" – His voice transformed into a thoughtful whisper.

I looked sideways, looking for a way out.

"Take… _what_ slowly, exactly?!"

He smiled his malicious smile again, as if I had said something specially to tease him…

"Why, you know…"

I didn't. His eyes must have seen it inside mine, then: His smile came undone. They investigated me, curiously… then became darker… Then sank in awe!

"Oh! Oh my! Are you…" He looked me over, suddenly as surprised by how close we were as I was "It couldn't be that… Are you…" He eventually gave up on that question, assuming a new one "You didn't come here because you wanted to see me, did you?"

"Well… no…" I tried to be as careful as I could.

"Oh, by the gods!" He gasped, running his fingers through his hair "And… Charmander… he _was_ indeed sick, wasn't he?!" – He now seemed to think it aloud to himself, needless of an answer.

I gave him one anyway:

"Y-yes…."

"Anne, dear! Then why did you let me…" He pleaded almost tragically now!

"I… I…" I began to try and justify myself – but he was still too close to me, I was still stuck between him and a wall, and now his meek eyes rested on mine… His face assumed a brightly red tone and his lips shone even pinker. I'm sure if they were to touch mine there, they would feel even hotter... I swallowed again, and then remembered to look back into his eyes.

"And why… why do you look at me like that?!" His face lurked closer "For a second, I could swear you were hitting on me!"

"Professor Sycamore! I'm sorry, I…"

"And that kiss…" His finger lifted my coward chin so that I could see the confusion on his eyes again "How could I be wrong, when you rendered me so aroused?!"

Aroused! My body froze, and then trembled – my stomach did so many pirouettes I thought I would be sick.

"A…A…Aroused?!" I couldn't help but repeat the word, astonished.

"My! What am I saying?! N-never mind it, will you, miss Anne? Oh, to think you were that naïve, and I…" – My handsome Professor began to fall apart, losing his confident composure in a shower of embarrassment and confusion.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"Shhh! You do not get to say you're sorry this time, miss Anne…!" His finger quickly sealed my lips "_Mea-culpa… _If you wouldn't mind, though… I would like this to be a secret between the two of us, what do you say?!"

He flashed me a smile again, as if now his escape-from-major-law-suit desperate strategy was to try and convince me through the seduction of his beautiful face.

…It's not like I would ever say no, considering that it _was_, after all, a big misunderstanding… But I was still being pressed against the wall quite literally – my answer refused to come out because it felt too much like coercion.

I supposed we were too distracted into each other's drama – the one we had just created after that huge mess! – to hear the beeping elevator. A knock sounded on the wall, near the doorway.

"_Sophie…_ didn't I tell you I was expect-" Sycamore began to snarl in a fit of inpatient. Silly him – I had already looked over to see Calem standing there, caught up in surprise by what he saw of us.

"Oh! It is you… Mr. Calem!"

Sycamore's arms left my side and he walked away – his clear embarrassment only made the situation the more awkward.

"Calem! What are you doing here?!" I inquired, though relieved.

"You were taking too long… I couldn't believe you'd run all the way here, but apparently you did!" He explained, then his eyes hovered, investigating the two of us with suspicion. "Wh… what were _you_ guys doing?!"

"We were…." I paused to think.

"Battle strategy!" Sycamore smiled largely, placing his hands on his hips and walking around "Strategy, indeed! A victory might be determined by other factors than the brain, my lad!"

Calem was too smart for him:

"Then… how come I don't see any Pokémons?"

Sycamore's eyes sought mine in a plead. He sighed:

"Ever heard of… Body language?!"

I held a laugh!

"Body language?!" His eyebrows lifted and his shoulders stiffened, caught up in disgust.

"Why, yes! A trainer's confidence, _specially under pressure,_ proves vital for a win! I was just teaching Miss Anne here the basics of posture."

"Well, I'm certainly not jealous she's the only one getting those classes…" He murmured to himself most ironically.

"I shall organize a little tutorship for the five of you in no time, you have my word!" Sycamore smiled charmingly.

"Well, whatever – I mean, thanks Professor! Are you guys done? How's Charmander?!"

We looked over – The Pokémon in question sat on the carpet near Sycamore's desk, playing with some papers.

"Fine, apparently!" I grumbled resentfully.

"Fine, fine, indeed! It was just a case of… utter…" - he cleared his throat – "misinterpretation?"

I walked up to Charmander and crouched, placing my hand on his head: "Listen up, Charmander… Do you want to stay here, or do you want to go with me? …I won't force you." I sighed, surrendering.

The little one cocked his head, eyeing me curiously. He then smiled and gave me one of those excited shrieks I had seen him sing to Sycamore. It made me… smile.

"Whatever was wrong with him, he seems to be better now!" Calem pointed out. "That means we can go, right?!"

Sycamore approached, too, and stood next to me:

"I don't think Charmander will have a problem following you now…" He observed "He looks more attached already…"

"Okay…" I caressed him, feeling happier now… for both of us "Come on, boy… Let's go!" I sighed, pulling out my pokeball and ushering Charmander in.

"Strange change of behaviors though…" Sycamore brushed his chin, thinking and, in my personal opinion, being so bold as to tease me "…I wonder what encouraged it."

Calem walked to my side – he passed an arm around my shoulders:

"I told you it would be alright, didn't I?" He smiled warmly "Now let's go, neighbor! I'm here to make sure you'll hire a taxi this time… I'll even pay for it, if you want!" He led me back to the elevator.

"Oh! Kids… wait! Are… are you really going?!" Sycamore inquired, stretching his hand in an awkward attempt to reach and stop us, suddenly reminded of the urgent promise I was about to make when we were interrupted.

Calem looked annoyed, but he was too polite to let it slip to his voice:

"Yes, it's super late outside… Right, Annie?"

I looked back planning a word or two of goodbye to Sycamore, but couldn't do anything but blush as soon as our eyes met.

"Ohh… I suppose it is, isn't it?!" He brushed his forehead clearing a few drops of nervous sweat "Well… I guess it can't be helped! Have a good night then, Miss Anne… I won't hold you any longer." He declared his defeat, nervously pacing through his office "I do, however, hope that you will provide me with a few minutes of your time to continue our conversation tomorrow…"

"O-of course!"

"Be safe, the two of you…!" He wished at last, and just as we disappeared behind the wall I could see a heavy sigh part from his lungs as he moved his head from one side to the other.

The elevator's door closed.

* * *

_Back in his office, now alone, Sycamore dropped himself on the sofa and pulled on his shirt's collar with stress, relieving his neck._

_A large figure with stiff shoulders walked out of the dense shadows on the other side of the room. At first, the approach alarmed Sycamore, but then his eyes got accustomed to its view. He sighed tired: "It's just you…"_

_"Augustine… What are you doing?" A coarse voice sounded._

_"A minor slip in my part… Nothing I can't handle. This changes nothing!" The Professor answered impatiently._

* * *

"I forgot my Pokedéx! It must have slipped from my pocket when…" I recalled Sycamore pulling me under himself on the sofa.

"When?!" Calem asked as I halted the answer. This hand touched my cheeks and lingered there for a second or two, a reprobation look weighing on me the entire time "Geesh, you're burning up! Don't tell me you've gone ahead and got yourself a cold!"

Luminose streets were empty, dark again. Calem hailed for a cab:

"Alright, I'll get it for you… Wait inside the car, okay?" He ran back inside the building.

I did as he said, assuming my seat in the heated vehicle. I couldn't help but sigh and immediately relax under its comfort, forgetting how tense all of my body muscles had been just a while ago.

It took Calem a few minutes to return – no surprises there, for elevators were known to be slow. When he returned though, as soon as I saw him cross the door-sill I noticed a grave change in his countenance. He didn't look at me, but rather faced the floor, suddenly thoughtful.

I waited anxiously – when he finally got into the cab with me, I immediately asked:

"What's wrong? Didn't you find it?!"

"No, I found it… It's right here…" He handed it over to me, his voice incapable of meeting my enthusiasm.

"Then what's the matter?!" I inquired, growing worried.

"It's just that… I didn't notice Lysandre was in the lab with us."

"What, Lysandre?!"

"The Holo Caster guy…" – He explained, as if I didn't already know. "He was there with Sycamore. The two were talking in the dark… and Lysandre seemed really, _really_ unnerved to see me there!"

He checked his watch.

"It's 11pm… What in the world could they be talking about?!"

I looked ahead – the taxi driver waited for instructions with an inpatient glare.

"I have no idea…" I vaguely answered, immediately sinking into thought. What was he doing there? Most importantly… How long had he been there?


	6. Chapter 6

The city somehow managed to be emptier now than it was earlier near the lab, I observed as we left the cab in front of the hotel. The bright, lively and crowded streets from the noon now carried the most eerie air, and not a living soul beside Calem and I could be seen anywhere around us. I shivered to think about it, and felt quite glad that Calem had come to pick me up.

"So Shauna kept saying I was being silly, exaggerated… Uh… She also used the word 'overprotective'. She thought I'd only get you annoyed…"

My cautious feet knocking on the soft, fancy carpet produced a mute thud. My heart began to beat at the same pace…

"And she said that… That she knew just what I was doing, and why." – His voice suddenly assumed a pensive tone – "What do you think?"

We had just stopped before the twin doors that led to each of our separate rooms. Though I had heard his voice, I only then realized that I hadn't listened to a single word, and only then did I face him, lifting my eyes from my feet, and my thoughts from what had arrested them, whatever that was. I had no idea what he had been talking about, but a grave expression around his eyes demanded answer like a lost pet begs rescue.

"Do you think… Shauna's right?" – He repeated with sensible apprehension after recognizing my lag as uncertainty.

"I think she's… mistaken…" – I risked.

"You do?!" He sighed a relieved smile.

I stepped into the darkness of my room.

"It's good night then, huh, neighbor?"

"Yeah. Good night, Calem."

Looking cheerful again, he stood in the doorway and faced me in the dark for a while longer before actually deciding to let me go. When he did begin to leave, a hastened pace brought him back, and his words began to scrabble:

"Well, you know, about today… About… uhm… I'm kind of glad that Sycamore was just teaching you some weird mojo, because… Because deep down I thought that… It's stupid, but…" He laughed half-heartedly.

I grimaced, confused, and he sighed in defeat… or overtaken by a new, rash resolution. I would learn it was the latter…

"For a moment, I thought he would have done _this_…" – His semantics finally restored, he put his hands around my face and in a quick, surprising second, his lips touched against mine.

I felt his inexperienced tongue explore nervously that attempt of a kiss, and then retreat, quickly running out of the determination that started it in the first place. He smiled at me embarrassedly, and I didn't know what to say or do.

"Good night, neighbor!" – Fortunately, he didn't linger and wait for a response.

"Good…night…" I muttered, recomposing, when he had already closed the door behind himself.

I closed mine, crossed the room, dropped on the bed, completely astounded. A few hours ago, I had hardly an idea of what was the touch of a foreign skin against mine. Now I lay in suffocating confusion of feelings: the two events too close together, the contrast too great – The fresh, bold, stingy and consuming kiss the Professor had virtually forced upon me, arrayed in all the strange and unknown feelings it brought into me… The quiet, calm, quivering lips of Calem's attempting to overthrow the first.

Calem's was definitely a depiction of what a first kiss should be: the uncertainty, the youthful curiosity, his delicate, small hands holding me as if I could break, or fall, if he dared move a finger… _but it wasn't the first._ I had been gravely robbed! Sycamore's large shoulders encircling me, his large body pinning me down, his hands caressing me, moving me, running freely across the uncharted surface of my body, while his mouth so much as devoured mine in a burning and intimidating flame from which I couldn't pull away. A strangely pleasant mingle between fear and surrender, The single memory of which disturbed and excited me in equally extreme levels. The unexpected, unasked for wave swept me from the sweet summer breeze of a first-kiss pleasure, swept me from Calem's careful hands…

…and made them meaningless.

I turned to the side, hugged my knees, fixed my staggered eyes elsewhere other than the crimson-papered room. I deeply hoped I could find some sleep, for my thoughts tortured me.

* * *

The next morning, we were all – the five of us – defeating trainer after trainer in the Battle Chateau on route 7, waiting to see who could stand the longest. The pressure of competing, although stressed the life out of me, did succeed in silencing the obsession my thoughts had been circling around all night, and also helped Calem forget there was ever a closer intimacy between us than that of friends and neighbors. He _did_ snag an "Earl" title after all, and sure looked cuter wearing that medal as we crossed route 7 in the red sunset...

With the wind turning cold as a distant sea breeze found its way to us in our journey, it became easier to put behind the eventful evening at the Professor's lab the previous day… To forget the warmth of his touch, the scorching lips pressing against mine and the soft breath tracing my skin. It was all helped by the fact that none of us heard from him in a while, and none of us talked about him either…

…That lasted for two days.

I was distracted reeling the line and loosing it again, having passed the point of being disturbed by not finding fishing as natural a sport as Calem did, who had already managed to capture three Pokémon that way. His parents were Pokémon trainers, I reminded myself, and continued to pretend I was in control of the situation.

It was funny, then, to realize that I was annoyed: It seems that Calem's rivalry was starting to rub off on me. I eyed him by the end of such thought, his face glowing in a tranquil pride… I couldn't help but smile at ourselves.

Trevor had folded up the hems of his pants and stood in the water holding out his Pokédex, waiting to be the first to register a Pokémon when one happened to be pulled out of the water – and he did so before anyone could even get a glimpse of it!

Looking over my shoulder, Shauna and Tierno played on the sand like the biggest beach cliché, probably building castles or something of the sort.

The sky was a big mass of grey clouds announcing a big storm to come, and the beach was a desolate, completely empty scenario under that atmosphere… but we were all managing to have fun, somehow.

Trevor sighed, bored by our lack of success in the last few minutes, and strayed his gaze returning it to the town. They fixed elsewhere, then, and his eyes grew wide… He jumped out of the water, running towards whatever had called his attention.

"Professor Sycamore!"

I gasped!


	7. Chapter 7

Trevor's scream seemed to awaken all of us from the paradise numbness that the lonely breeze had encircled us in. That name alone sent shivers up my spine. In some corner of my mind I wished he wouldn't be there when I turned around, for with him – and there he was, his peaceful eyes weighing down upon me and his conceited smile mocking my self-consciousness – came back all those unwelcome feelings assaulting my breast.

"Why, hello, children! Never thought I could meet you here!" He greeted as the entire group, with me as an exception, banded up around him.

"What are you doing here, Professor?" - Calem asked.

"Research, of course!" He answered directly, followed by a playful laugh that neutralized any former sign of rudeness "And you, my young lads?"

"What do you think?!" Trevor asked joyfully.

I was starting to put together that the only few times we saw Trev's emotions surface like that was either when he saw Professor Sycamore or when someone talked badly of him.

"I have registered 6 different kinds of Pokémon only here in Muraille Coast this afternoon!" – He boasted proudly – "Did you know, Professor, that some of the Pokémon found in the sea aren't even water-typed?"

"Did I?!" Sycamore laughed, petting Trevor in the head with an entertained laugh "Look at you, young man! You sound like a little professor yourself!"

Trevor blushed with delight.

"Most of the times he does so!" Shauna added "This one is definitely becoming a researcher just like you, Professor!"

"We just have to find him a new region, that's all…" Tierno remarked "Don't we, guys? After all, we don't want Trevs here stealing Professor Sycamore's job" And then he laughed, shacking Trevor's small structure with a heavy slap on the back.

"Whaaat?!" Trevor closed his fits in awe "I would _never_ do that!" He vehemently cried as his face now glowed in a bright red hue.

Everyone laughed at such a passionate answer – Professor Sycamore closed his eyes to savor the joyous moment with his moderate laughter. When the comedy eased, he slowly opened them and spotted me – I felt myself freeze in place, but _him_… not even a slightly different shade shone across his blue eyes.

I blushed nervously, and prepared myself to answer his silly remarks, and defend my position away from him with the excuse of being busy, and think of any other way to repel his inconvenient – and, dare I say it, dangerous – friendliness, to escape the fact that he was willing to treat me as if nothing had happened!

…But worse than that, he said nothing. His eyes lowered back to Trevor without even casting a polite nod, just as calm as they were before noticing my distant presence, inquiring joyfully:

"So, why don't you show those Pokémon you just registered?"

I resumed my fishing – or whatever it was I was doing there, holding the handle of the rod much tighter than the task demanded, trying to recompose from the angry fit brooding inside me and making my legs shake under the water. Their laughs went on – even Calem forgetting, in the Professor's charming company, that I stood a few feet away, hard as a stone, facing the ocean and its lazy waves like a figurehead from a ship. And what a heart-breaking sad look that figurehead should have right now! And all for what?!

The lulling movement of the sea was bound to soothe me – or madden me as I failed to emulate their calm. In any case, I would not look away – I would not turn around and join the collective joy, when _he_ didn't even seem to care that I wasn't there…

After what seemed like long minutes – I dared not keep track of the time – I felt the line being pulled into the water. Until then, I hardly consciously remembered the fact that I still had a rod, and still was, so to speak, fishing. I looked down, blinking – my sight strangely blurred from the reverie – and saw the buoy sinking, repeatedly pulled down. The rod began to bend, almost as if it could snap. It was a funny dance to watch as some invisible Pokémon pulled the lure under the water, and tried desperately to escape snatching the nosh. It might have pulled a small laugh or two out of me, out of pure boredom…

"I don't suppose that's quite how you fish, miss Anne…" He remarked, amused. The voice was soft, producing in me the similar effect that the touch of silk would, if the fabric ran through the skin of my face gently circling it in a smothering attempt.

I turned myself to him quickly by the end of that thought, greatly disturbed by the analogy… But he stood placidly by my side – the freshness and beauty of his looks far from the menacing thing I pictured when he was away, and his smile as lovely as it could ever be, now that it was directed to me.

"Sycamore…" I sighed and, returning my eyes to the ocean, faintly returned "Please, just call me Anne."

"I shall, if only you'll call me _Professor_ Sycamore one more time." He replied mockingly, and then gave me an innocent smile. "Excuse me, may I?" – His hand stretched out closer and a polite delay followed, then his fingers firmly gripped my hands and pulled them back in a swift movement, letting go of me half-air.

The buoy splashed back, gleaming drops of salty water hovered before my eyes as the line now danced freely through the air, free of its underwater oppressor.

"Ohhh… look at that: he got away!" He feigned a depressed tone in his cheerful voice, sounding all the more mocking, and flashed me one of those meek smiles that completely subdued the first impression.

I blushed.

"Maybe you should teach her how to fish, too, Professor!" Calem innocently observed as he passed by.

Sycamore turned his neck and followed him with a smile, then looked back at me from his height – his eyes now weighing a ton on my shoulders, as I felt that both our thoughts returned to the same subject. I angrily looked away.

But he said nothing on the subject, only laughed lightly to himself, clearly not as innocent as to resist the irony of Calem's unfortunate comment.

I sulked, firmly holding the rod and my eyes in front of me.

"I hope you can bring yourself to despise me less in order to join me for a cup of coffee on a future occasion, Anne…" The question played about his lips, taking its time as he watched the sea stretching into infinity. All the more, he looked and sounded completely untroubled by his own declaring of my hatred for him, and completely contrary to my sudden ill humor, though certainly aware of it. "This is a lovely town, and you wouldn't want to miss any of it… A Pokémon journey is as about your own individual experience as it is of your Pokémon, wouldn't you agree?" He pleaded, turning my way and closing his eyes in a cute smile. "And from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like you're doing much to enjoy the journey in itself."

His eyes traced back to the group, who now had fun on the sand, laughing and shouting at each other.

"I… I guess…" I replied in a failed attempt to look like I didn't care.

"It is a yes, then? Lovely!" – He retorted with a gleeful tone.

"What?! I…"

"How about a breakfast? 11am tomorrow, is that fine with you?"

He certainly knew how to be convincing… I awkwardly moaned a reply.

"I do look forward to meeting you then!"

Little after that, Shauna approached us, and, coincidentally or not, Professor Sycamore smiled me a goodbye, and quickly turned away to go:

"Very well… I'll talk with you later!"

I followed him with my eyes as he sought back the small group that Tierno, Trevor and Calem had formed on the sand, now comparing Pokédex numbers as if they were something else.

Shauna sighed, looking the same way I did:

"Stupid, right?! I wish the Professor wouldn't encourage them even more…"

Sycamore looked into their circle and gave praises, stirring up their competition. He looked quite graceful, quite tall standing between them… Made it hard to look away.

"Haven't caught anything yet?" Shauna inquired.

"Oh!"

Again, only then I remembered I was supposed to be fishing.


End file.
